The debut album by N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton is now best remembered as the pioneering record of gangsta rap; with its ever-present profanity and violent lyrics, it helped to give birth to this then-new sub-genre of hip hop. It has been considered groundbreaking by music writers and has had an enormous impact on the evolution of West Coast hip hop. Straight Outta Compton redefined the direction of hip hop, which resulted in lyricism concerning the gangsta lifestyle becoming the driving force in sales figures. It also helped to shift the power to the West Coast from the East Coast, which had enjoyed a period of prominence in hip-hop for most of the 1980s.

Despite not being a success at first and the lack of airplay, Straight Outta Compton sold over three million copies, thanks to the hits "Straight Outta Compton," "Gangsta Gangsta," and "Express Yourself." The album reached number 37 in the Billboard Top 200 in the spring of 1989, while it reached number 9 on Billboard's Top Soul LPs.

Pressed on Red vinyl.

Please note: This is a distributed title (which means another label pressed this release), so we do not have any extra jackets for this release in case of minor damage by the USPS in transit. To clarify, It will come packaged in a full-color jacket (as pictured) sealed with plastic wrap UNLESS requested in the comment section of your order to "open the album & place outside of the jacket prior to shipping." This is a good way to prevent potential seam splits along the top of the jacket due to careless handling by the post office, and this service is free of charge. If you forget to write in the comments of your order about shipping outside of the jacket, PLEASE EMAIL US WITH YOUR ORDER NUMBER and ask us to update the notes on your order to ship outside of the jacket. Release days are hectic, especially the first few hours, so please give ample time for a response. We will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!